FOXBOROUGH, Mass.—On the second play of what became a humbling loss for the Houston Texans on Monday night, quarterback Matt Schaub handed the ball off to his All-Pro running back, Arian Foster.

Foster started to follow center Chris Myers, then cut back. Right guard Ben Jones had shoved Vince Wilfork down in the backfield and was trying to hold him on the Gillette Stadium turf. But Jones didn’t pin Wilfork well enough—the Patriots’ defensive tackle reached out and grabbed Foster by the left shin, dropping him for a one-yard loss. Houston punted three plays later.

It was the first play in a night flush with them for the 31-year old Wilfork, the most senior member of New England’s defense. Patriots coaches credited him with four tackles, a sack for a 20-yard loss, a third-down pass breakup and a forced fumble.

“Vince always does a good job in there,” Bill Belichick said after the game. “He does a great job of taking care of his area and tackling. He’s physical and very instinctive.”

Belichick went on to say that Wilfork’s success against Houston was part of a good performance by the entire defense in a 42-14 victory, but linebacker Jerod Mayo saw in front of him how Wilfork played.

“From the first quarter on, he was making plays, making tackles, batting the ball,” Mayo said. “He had a little J.J. Watt swat there at one point in the game, and it was good for us. He went out there and played from the first snap on, and you can’t ask for anything more.”

Wilfork remains supremely athletic for a player his size—he’s officially listed at 6-2, 325 pounds but weighs more than that. Look no further than the return on his first career interception last year against San Diego: Wilfork read Philip Rivers’ eyes, tipped the pass to himself, then took off down the sideline on a 28-yard return before being tripped up.

The Patriots’ move to a 4-3 base defense after many years as a 3-4 team, plus the presence of rookie end Chandler Jones as a pass rusher, have given Wilfork a bit more freedom. Offensive lines can’t just double- or triple-team him on every snap; there are other players to account for who can cause problems.

Wilfork shrugs when asked if he’s having a career year, but teammates know how good he is. And he’s always willing to pass on his knowledge to younger players—third-year defensive tackle Kyle Love has discussed Wilfork's influence on him several times. A couple of weeks ago, as Wilfork was walking into the locker room with defensive end Jake Bequette, reporters saw him get down in a three-point stance to illustrate hand placement and other finer points to the rookie.

When the Patriots played in Miami this month, Wilfork recovered a second quarter fumble forced by Trevor Scott. He brought the ball to his wife Bianca, who was in the stands behind the Patriots’ bench, as she is for every game, home and away.

The couple has a special relationship, and Wilfork isn’t afraid to discuss what Bianca means to him. The two started dating when Wilfork was playing for the University of Miami, shortly before his father and then his mother died just six months apart.

“That’s my world,” he said of his relationship with Bianca. “To not have my mother and father, she takes that place and luckily she’s my wife. She gives me that support that a mother, a father, a friend gives you. For her to see me personally every game, to talk to me every game, that’s special.”

After his parents died, Wilfork wanted to walk away from football. He had started playing because of his father, David, and continued to play for David and Barbara. Even though he still loved the game, Wilfork felt as though he had no reason to play once his parents were gone.

Bianca convinced him to return, telling him that his parents would want him to play. Wilfork recommitted himself and became the Patriots’ first-round pick in 2004.

He has anchored the middle of their defensive line ever since, and it doesn’t look like he’ll be leaving that spot in the near future. He hasn’t missed a game since 2009—and at an age when some players at his position, and especially those his size, might start to wear down, Wilfork continues to thrive. He has played in 80 percent of the defensive snaps this season and was on the field for an amazing 86 percent last season.

After dismissing Foster and the Texans, New England hosts another top team, San Francisco, on Sunday night. Wilfork played with 49ers running back Frank Gore at Miami, so he’s familiar with what he can do, but Wilfork made it clear this week: The Niners’ offense is far more than Gore.

“They’ve got about a hundred different things they can do, probably more than that,” he said, adding that sideline adjustments will be crucial for New England. “But you can do that when you have the talent that they have. Everyone that touches the ball for them is capable of big plays.

“They show so many different things, and I’m sure they have a lot more that they can do. We’re going to expect the kitchen sink.”